Derby Family's Lemonade Stand Raises Over $3,000 For Shelton Animal Shelter

DERBY, CT — Each month since their rescue dog, Ozzy, passed away earlier this year, Derby mother Keri Reese and her 4-year-old son, Jack, have set out to do a good deed intended to keep their beloved pet's memory alive.

In April, they donated a huge bin of brand new tennis balls to the Shelton Dog Park for the dogs to "throw some love around" in memory of Ozzy.

In May, they donated a large 30-pound bag of dry dog food to the Shelton Animal Shelter, once again in memory of Ozzy.

According to Reese, the pair wanted to do something "a little more hands on" and possibly get the community involved for their next good deed, so her son proposed something seemingly simple: a lemonade stand to raise funds to buy food for other street dogs like Ozzy.

According to Reese, she and her son, as well as her husband, Brad, set up shop on the sidewalk outside Derby High School on June 29, a particularly hot summer day, for a little over three hours in hopes of raising some funds, however they decided not to charge customers for the beverages.

"We didn't set a price because we wanted the lemonade to come from the heart, just like the mission behind it," Reese said to Patch. "By offering it for free and simply accepting donations, we gave people the choice to give what they could, not what they had to."

The response they received from the community after the lemonade stand had been circling around on social media for a couple of days was overwhelming, and the stand ultimately raised $3,070.26, according to additional press materials provided by Reese.

"People were stopping in the middle of the street just to donate," Reese said, "they didn't even want a cup of lemonade."

Reactions from customers at the stand varied, with some laughing or crying and others offering their condolences and sharing their own rescue dog stories, Reese said.

"Each person told Jack what a wonderful little guy he was and how big his little heart was," Reese said. "One sweet woman brought Jack cookies and a stuffed dog and its own shelter. A Derby police officer...paid Jack a visit and even brought a baseball and bat for Jack."

All the funds raised by the stand are set to be donated to the Shelton Animal Shelter to help provide food, medical care and safe shelter for adoptable pets.

By giving back, the family hopes to recognize that all members of a community, from people to pets, are connected to each other in meaningful ways.

"When we support places like animal shelters, we are helping the voiceless, the forgotten and the ones who can't ask for help themselves," Reese said. "For us, giving back isn't about money, it is about kindness. It is teaching the next generation, like our son Jack, that even small actions can create big change. Whether it is donating, volunteering or simply showing love to a dog waiting for a home, it reminds us that we all have the power to make the world a little gentler."

The family also recently launched the nonprofit organization Deeds for Dogs, a tribute project designed to support animals in need.

"We created Deeds for Dogs to keep Ozzy's spirit alive through acts of kindness, from bottle drives to donation boxes to spreading joy," Reese said. "It is our family's mission, not just a one time thing. Jack may have led the stand, but our little family is committed to growing this into a movement [and] showing other kids and families that one act of kindness can ripple out far beyond your sidewalk."

Reese also noted the stand was not a business for her son, but rather an act of love for his cherished dog and all shelter dogs still waiting to find their forever home.

"A 4-year old proved that you don't have to be big to do something big," Reese said. "Jack didn't have money, he didn't have a plan, but he had a big heart, and that was enough to raise over $3,000 for shelter dogs."